Lewis Schaffer is charging £5 to see his Fringe show this year.

That may not look like a fact that is worth writing an article about, however it is noteworthy as it means he, by his own admission, is now charging for the same thing he has previously given away for free.

The UK-based American comic is predicting the move will be a failure, but he is going ahead with it anyway.

He says: "I envision empty seats and a smattering of disappointed punters thinking I'm not worth the price of admission. Frankly, most people thought my free show wasn't worth the price of admission to begin with."

Explaining why he's made the move, he says: "I chose to do a paid show this year in Edinburgh because I could see success with my free shows and couldn't stomach it. I picked Just the Tonic at the Grassmarket to do my show as it was on the route between the big four venues and because Darrell Martin is the only venue manager that doesn't seem to hate me."

Showing he doesn't quite understand that a press release is supposed to promote your show, Schaffer has also pointed out to the press that it is said (by himself) that "only six people in the world know what Lewis Schaffer is doing with his comedy, and Lewis Schaffer isn't one of them."

He also included some not entirely flattering reviews in his press release:

"We were at the front and he was so bad lol! We laughed so much out of pure pitty." (Carrie Ryder, Plumstead People)

"'Truly unpredictable comedy that is grimly compelling if occasionally painfully unwatchable. Sometimes Andy Kaufman with jokes, sometimes Andy Kaufman without jokes." (Bruce Dessau, Beyond the Joke)

"...described as a comic... Schaffer has apparently chosen to do everything in his power not to be funny, which is often funny in itself but mostly just plain awkward." (Fringe Guru)

Lewis Schaffer's show is called Lewis Schaffer is Free until Famous, £5, which he admits makes things "even more confusing".

He does however concede - given how many year's he's played at the festival now - there is a chance tickets will sell out, which means he will "not be a failure anymore", albeit that makes him "a failure at being a failure."

'Lewis Schaffer is Free until Famous, £5' is at Just The Tonic at The Community Project on 6-17, 19-30 August at 5:35pm. Listing